One major environmental problem confronting the United States and other countries is atmospheric pollution caused by the emission of pollutants as a result of burning fossil fuels. This problem is especially acute in major metropolitan areas. While emissions have been substantially reduced, federal, state and local governments continue to implement regulations which affect the manufacture and use of fossil fuels, in particular the manufacture of gasoline fuels. As a result, refineries have been required to alter their production to produce gasolines that meet the regulations of the federal, state and local governments. These specially formulated, low emission gasolines are often referred to as reformulated gasolines, with California's very strict low emissions gasoline often referred to as California Phase 2 or Phase 3 gasoline.
An example of a low emissions gasoline is disclosed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,288,393; 5,593,567; 5,653,866; 5,837,126; and 6,030,521 (each issued to Union Oil Company of California). Each of these patents discloses a gasoline composition which is stated to produce low amounts of certain pollutants during combustion. The gasoline reduces pollution by having a decreased 50% D-86 distillation point; a decreased olefin content; an increased paraffin content; a decreased Reid vapor pressure; an increased research octane number; a decreased 10% D-86 distillation point; a decreased 90% D-86 distillation point; and an increased aromatic content.
Another example of a low emissions gasoline is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,772 (issued to Chevron). This patent discloses a fuel that is blended to meet the California Code of Regulations. The fuel is made by blending a gasoline blend stock having predetermined RVP and T50 specifications at a refinery which does not contain ethanol, transporting the blend stock through a pipeline to a terminal, and mixing the ethanol and blend stock at the terminal such that the final gasoline composition meets the California Code of Regulations. The patent indicates that the method allows one to avoid the problems inherent in transporting an ethanol containing gasoline formulation to its desired destination, while meeting all required specifications for the gasoline.
Transporting special fuel compositions such as those described above, can be quite problematic in itself. Fuels, as well as a variety of hydrocarbons, are typically transported many miles through huge pipeline systems. There are many thousands of miles of pipelines throughout the world, particularly in North America and the Middle East, and these pipelines are capable of carrying multiple fluids along the same line to numerous destinations, with the fluids varying substantially in composition. In order to ensure that a specified fluid gets to a specified destination, pipeline systems include complex switching arrangements to route the various fluids in accordance with their intended application and destination. Due to the complexities of pipeline switching, as well as inconsistencies in flow, maintenance issues, and even operator error, fluid identification and error-free distribution is very difficult, if not impossible, in some cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,148 (issued to Teng) discloses a pipeline fluid tagging system. The system uses an electronic transmitter to identify fluid location in a pipeline. The transmitter is enclosed in a housing and the housing travels along with the fluid in the pipeline, transmitting signals representative of information relating to the fluid, such as fluid type, fluid quantity and destination.
There exists a need for a system to ensure efficient, highly predictable identification of flowing fluids, specialty gasolines in particular, throughout the numerous miles of existing pipelines. There is also a need for a system which allows for efficient distribution of such fluids. Such a system would also provide for the reduction of waste and potential errors related to the task of getting the fluids to their desired destination.